A Strength in Transition
by Enchanted Disaster
Summary: Kagome and Inuyasha discover that the line between their blood is not as distinct as they once thought when Kagome's powers begin awakening. Inuyasha must protect Kagome from herself as she struggles to gain control over her newly discovered spiritual powers.
1. The Call of the Kappi

It was on the third day of their pursuit of one of the larger portions of the Shikon-no-tama, yet the creature continued to elude them. As they traveled further, the group was beginning to lose the determination to track down the tiny creature, seen by only Kagome as an odd bowl-headed creature with water contained within. Inuyasha, per usual, was becoming increasingly irrational in his irritation. He stalked ahead of his friends, grumbling and pushing the pace before turning on Kagome, who was dragging her feet and pushing her bike like it was the heaviest piece of metal on earth. "Oi, wench, are you so fucking sure you saw a Shikon shard in that bowl headed weasel? I'm startin' to think yer fuckin' delusional."

Miroku interjected, correcting his hanyou friend as Kagome groaned and glowered, "What Kagome described was a Kappi, a minor water demon. They are very elusive, and may only appear to those it wishes to prey upon. It is very likely that it sees a maiden such as Kagome as purely delectable." He turned a lecherous glance at the young priestess and attempted to wink, but was forced to close both of his eyes in a cringe as Sango's hiraikotsu smacked the back of his head with force.

"So yer tellin' me that we're basically tracking a demon that wants to devour Kagome? That's just fuckin' perfect. Like we need another reason to worry about Kagome getting into more trouble than usual." Inuyasha curled his lip up in a sneer, though he felt his heart clench in worry. It wasn't really Kagome's fault that she was so susceptible to demon attacks, though if she could actually harness even a fraction of her powers she'd probably not be in such danger. "Didn't ya say that the thing was small? Why don't you just fuckin' catch it, Kagome? Bow or feed it cucumbers, or whatever crap Miroku said will get it."

Kagome ground her teeth and rolled her eyes, balling her fists at her sides. "Inuyasha…" She breathed deeply in to regain her composure, the word _sit_ tickling at the tip of her tongue. "You don't think I've tried those tactics? I can never get the thing to look at me long enough to get it to bow, and as for the cucumbers…" Her breath rushed out of her as her eyes caught a quick flash of blue. She followed it until it was just ahead of Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, don't move."

The group froze, though it took Inuyasha a bit longer to recognize the look of concentration on Kagome's features. He followed her dark blue eyes to the spot in the road where she was staring intently. It wasn't until he saw a dribble of water form around what appeared to be tiny cloven feet that he finally fully believed Kagome. Unsheathing Tessaiga, he began advancing on the spot before stopping in his tracks as Kagome commanded seriously, "Sit boy." A curse escaped his throat as he watched Kagome flash passed him and into the nearby line of trees.

A cold hand of fear gripped his heart as he looked frantically towards his companions. "What are you doing just fuckin' watching? Follow her! For fucks sake, Miroku, you said the thing was _hunting_ her." Frustration and anger coursed through his veins as he struggled against the subjugation beads, clawing at the ground as he watched his friends run in pursuit of Kagome. Foolish girl, what had she been thinking?

Kagome left her friends behind, treading lightly after the Kappi, her hands pushing aside the brush and branches as the woods became thicker around her. Soon she was on her hands and knees, struggling through a tunnel of shrubs, paying no heed to the scrapes across her skin or the sharpness of the rocks on the ground beneath her. The tunnel of shrubs ended abruptly and she came upon a small clearing leading to a stream, the water a peculiar hue of gold and blue. There she found the Kappi leaning over and refilling the top of his bowl-shaped head with the water. Taking a closer step, she noted in disdain that the Kappi did not, in fact, have a shikon shard. Her feet faltered and she paused, long enough to grant the Kappi the chance to approach her. Its sea green eyes glittered mischievously as it reached up and grabbed her hand.

Desperately Kagome bowed at the Kappi, as its grin grew larger as it bowed to her as well. Time seemed to slow as she watched the water flow from its head, the water spilling down her legs. As soon as the water touched her skin, she felt her legs collapse beneath her and her vision darken.

Inuyasha soared over his other companions as they hacked through the thicket after Kagome, using the tree tops. He could smell Kagome's triumph, hopeful at first that she had somehow managed to vanquish the demon on her own, but his hope soon turned to panic at her scent changed into shock and fear. His feet hit the bark of the tree on the edge of the clearing just as he watched Kagome collapse into a heap. Leaping down, he rushed to her side and picked her up in his arms, eyes searching her features frantically as he watched her eyes twitch heavily beneath the lids, feeling the convulsions of her muscles as she seized. Had she been poisoned?

Gripping her shoulders, he pulled her against his chest and whispered fiercely against her ear, "Kagome, come on, wake the hell up." He felt her breath shudder shallowly in her chest, and his panic rose like a bile in his throat as he laid her flat on her back. Pinning her shoulders to the ground, he growled out loudly, "Wake the fuck up, you idiot!" He grabbed her wrists and laced his fingers through hers where her nails were imbedding in her own flesh, allowing them to sink into his own instead. When a whimper escaped her lips and her chest arched off the ground in struggle Inuyasha was practically going mad with worry, "Sango! Miroku! Where the FUCK are you?" He turned his gave back to Kagome at the scent of fresh blood, realizing that she would most likely bite off her own tongue if he didn't prevent it. Releasing her hands, he took the sheath of Tessaiga and gripped her clenched jaw in his hand, forcing it open until she was forced to bite down on the scabbard. Returning his hands to interlock with hers, he held her down, helpless to pull her out of whatever stupor she was in.


	2. The Kappi's Lesson

Miroku and Sango came upon the scene, Miroku's discerning eyes watching the magic from Kagome pulsing out in waves. Inuyasha was so distracted in his pleas to the girl that he was unaware of the damage the purifying power of the priestess was causing. "Inuyasha! Step away from her! She's going to kill you!"

Inuyasha turned on his friends, a fierce snarl ripping through his throat as his eyes flashed red. "Like hell. Back the fuck off, monk." The only thing that brought him away from Kagome was the sight of the strange creature staring at them from across the stream, smirking. Instantly he was on his feet, blocking the thing from Kagome as he growled. "What the fuck did you do to Kagome?"

The Kappi dangled its feet in the water, disappearing and reappearing beside Kagome as Inuyasha swung around on it. The thing touched her temple before her eyes flew open to reveal the pure shining light streaming from them, her hair whipping rapidly about her face. As Inuyasha lunged out at him, the Kappi wrapped a hand around her wrist, eliciting a scream of pain from her throat. Inuyasha stopped in his tracks, the Kappi wagging a finger back and forth, "Ah, ah, ah, little hanyou. Your spiritual friend is quite right. If you touch her now, you will either be lost in the madness of your yokai, or be incinerated."

Calmly, the creature threaded a tendril of her hair through his fingers. "Really, all I did was give her an introduction to her powers." The Kappi fisted her hair and pulled her face towards him, his tiny stature giving no hint of his true strength as he continued conversationally, "Did you know, priestess is just a pretty word for shaman. And shamans are forced to undergo the possession of kami to slowly awaken their true powers. Most do not undergo these transitions, because they are _very_ dangerous and only the strongest survive. See how vulnerable it makes her?" The Kappi tilted her head back with a jerk and placed his mouth over hers, breathing in her essence. As he did, Inuyasha made another attempt to attack. The Kappi slung his small hand towards the half-demon, spraying the water from the river about his feet. He did the same to the remaining members of the group, and continued to suck from her mouth until she was no longer breathing.

Holding in the essence, he motioned towards her. "See? Meek as a mewling kit."

Inuyasha jerked on his legs, trying to unglue them from the ground, his heart beating rapidly in his chest as he watched, unable to go to Kagome's aid. "I'll fucking kill you!" He snarled, clawing out uselessly. He couldn't make any other move, for fear of hurting Kagome.

"Oh, no need to be dramatic. She is of much more interest alive, and my master would be very upset if she did not remain so." He released his breath back into her mouth, and the group heaved a collective sigh of relief as they watched Kagome's chest heave. "Alive, priestesses like our maiden, here, can grant power and strength to any demon to mate them. The more transitions they go through, the stronger their mate becomes. Well, that is, if they are mated in enough time after the transition begins." Inuyasha released a low, threatening growl as he watched the grubby little creature's hands trail down to enclose one of her breasts. "Funny thing about a demon initiation of the transition, is that this little requirement is added. Started on its own, mikos mate with the kami and do not take physical mates. But the key element to their power is _ecstasy._ _Ecstasy _which my master plans to give."

"Take your fuckin' hands off of her!" Inuyasha snarled, "Nobody is goin' to force Kagome to mate, let alone a grubby little shit like you and your cowardly fuckin' master!"

The Kappi stepped away from Kagome and walked just out of Inuyasha's reach towards the stream. "You're right, not today at least. Even my master cannot touch the priestess until she has awoken and contained her powers." The Kappi stepped into the stream, slowly beginning to blend its body with the water until only his mouth and eyes were left grinning. "Until next time." With that, whatever essence composed the Kappi was pulled quickly downstream.

Inuyasha landed with his face in the dirt before he was able to pull himself up and rush to Kagome's side. It was true, as he grew nearer her power began to steal the breath from him. His heart wrenched as he saw the angry red welt rising on her wrist from Kappi's hand. "Damnit, Kagome, it's just me, lay off already." He felt like his innards were swelling to the point of bursting, but he couldn't stop in his need to reach her. As his hand reached out and touched her skin, he let out a hoarse yell of pain as he felt his heart straining to continue the process of beating, "S…Stop, Kagome." His other hand reached forward and cupped her cheek as his body contorted in pain.

"Inuyasha, you have to let go! She sees your demon blood as posing a threat!" Miroku stepped towards his friend, only to be blocked by an invisible barrier.

"I… Don't care… Kagome's done it for me… I'll fucking do the same." His voice was hoarse as he panted, lowering his head down to brush his lips against hers as the pain blossomed across his chest. He felt blood well up in his throat as his insides struggled to hold together, his demon blood being forcefully pulled from his veins. The first drop of it reached his lips and smeared a path along her plump ones, and a strange feeling of warmth pulsed through his abdomen.

When he opened his eyes again, he was staring into her own, the blue of her iris slowly returning along with recognition. "Inu…Inuyasha?" Her hand reached up to wipe some of the blood spilling from his nose, only to have him flinch in pain. He seemed to contain himself as he nodded and pulled his hand to his chest, but a cough of distress rumbled in his chest. She was hurting him! As she came fully into consciousness, Kagome struggled to escape his hold. "Inuyasha! I'm hurting you, let go!" Something deep within her sparked with her panic, misinterpreting Inuyasha as a threat and pulsing to the surface. She saw Inuyasha's eyes glint red in his pain, a sign which only appeared when his own life was being threatened. "I'm killing you! Let me go, I can't control it!"

"Idiot…" He replied hoarsely, "I'm not letting go, so you'd best just calm the fuck down." He was afraid that if he let her go he would lose her. That she would somehow self-combust. He recognized the look in her eyes as one he himself often displayed from all the times he had been on the verge of losing control and harming those he cared for. Never had Kagome shied away from bringing him back from the brink of insanity, and he surely wasn't about to betray her.

Miroku called from across the barrier, "Inuyasha, she's too unpredictable right now, you need to get away from her. She could easily overwhelm you right now!"

Something deep in the pit of Inuyasha's being rallied, and he felt the most basic of his instincts surge to the surface. Kagome didn't need to calm down, _he_ needed to calm her down. No woman was going to dominate him like this, and he felt a growl build in his throat. He felt the need to control her, to put her in her place. Rolling her fully to her back, he grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head and was quickly straddling her, effectively pinning her to the ground.

Miroku's voice was shrill, "Inuyasha, what the hell are you doing? She's going to see what you're doing as a direct challenge!"

He was about to continue when Inuyasha turned his face towards the monk, revealing the fully transformed face. A smirk appeared across the demon's features as he struggled to breath. "Exactly."

Meanwhile, Kagome felt her blood boiling in an uncontained fuel of self-righteous rage. How dare this man try to dominate one with her level of power! A hiss rose from her lips as she bucked beneath him, the barrier she held so easily becoming visible and pulsing violently out at her other friends, throwing them into the trees. Her eyes flashed to a bright, burning blue again, flickers of her pink aura peppering the irises.

Miroku grabbed Sango's hand as she pulled him and Shippo up onto Kirara. "Sango, we need to get out of here before Kagome's power kills us all!"

Even as Kirara leapt into the air, Sango cried out above the violent hum of magic, "What about Inuyasha?!"

"His demon is protecting him." As they lifted into the sky and flew quickly away, all looked behind to the expanding shield of violent magic. "We can only hope that they do not destroy one another. Now we must do our part and protect the surrounding villages. Evacuate the villagers. I cannot tell how wide the breadth of Kagome's powers will reach, or should she be destroyed, how violent the wrath of Inuyasha will be." Sango nodded, and the group sped off to the aid of the villages, leaving the demon and priestess to battle.


	3. Control Issues

**Hello! I know this is first time I've provided a bit of commentary for this fanfic, I've just been becoming reacquainted with everything. That means writing as well! Sorry about a few confusing moments and gaps in the plot, I'll try to watch myself more and more as I write. You see, I'm just starting to sink back into writing stories and prose as well, as I've been focusing majorly on poetry lately. My biggest weakness when it comes to stories, is that I get so wrapped up into the story as I write that I get a little lost and things get jumbled together as I try to get everything out of me. Like a demon of writing possessing me, you know? So please forgive my lapses as I get comfortable!**

**Also, some of you mentioned that you were disappointed that the rest of the crew weren't as involved, so I tried to incorporate them into this a bit more. But as for the majority of this fanfic, the weight of the scenes will most likely fall upon Kagome and Inuyasha, not because I don't value the other characters, but only because I just love reading/writing about the interactions between Kags/Inu.**

**Welp, enjoy this new installation!**

Kagome collected her magic, controlling it for once, stealing it into her wrists to make it insufferable for Inuyasha to hold on any longer. As he was distracted by the pain, Kagome thrust him off of her and gave herself distance and enough time to thrust a hand out at him, accompanied by a release of power. A menacing snarl escaped his throat as Inuyasha grabbed up Tessaiga's scabbard from the ground to block the wave of her power, which probably would have been strong enough to kill him had he still been in his half demon form. He stalked around the clearing, dodging her blasts. He watched her reach behind her back to take her bow in her hand, an arrow firmly secured against the string as she unleashed it. Though he was in his yokai form, something about the shield she had created was allowing him to keep his mind about him. Had he been fully unaware of himself, he might have tried to kill her. But at the moment, all he could feel was a swell of pride.

_His_ Kagome was showing a strength and perseverance that he had yet to see from her. Had he been her enemy, he would have been hard pushed to defeat or capture Kagome. He blinked and reassessed the possessive thought processes going on his head, but couldn't push the feeling that she _was_ his. And though his yokai screamed for him to show _his_ Kagome that she could not behave so disrespectfully, it also recognized the moment where he might better benefit from calming his would-be mate. He could smell how threatened she felt, something he certainly wouldn't want in a mate. She needed to understand that she could trust him. Some basic instinct in him knew that he would need to gain her confidence in order to make her his mate, and only after that should he worry about showing her who was the Alpha in the relationship.

Continuing to dodge her attacks, his hands found the obi at his waist and untied it, untucking his fire-rat kesode, or top, and dropping it to the ground. This caused Kagome to pause only for a moment, but he could tell that she was perplexed at the way he was dropping his defenses. Next, he kicked Tessaiga towards her and dropped its scabbard, which completely froze Kagome. Slowly he bared his chest to her, dropping his undershirt as he took tentative steps towards her, watching as her hair began to drift back to her shoulders and her eyes began to lose the glow of power. Only a few more strides closed the distance between them, his arms wrapping around her just as the last of her aura blinked out. He was left with his Kagome, and he felt his own body calm in reaction and loosen the yokai hold on his blood.

Kagome was mortified, her death grip on her bow loosening and dropping her weapon to the ground, her arms fiercely encircling Inuyasha as she buried her head against his chest while her own heaved out sobs. "I'm… I'm so sorry Inuyasha, it was like somebody else was ruling my body!" Her hands balled against his back, fingernails digging into the holes already left behind during her paralysis.

Inuyasha took in all the different scents building off of her in waves, his hand stroking down her hair as he shushed her. "Kagome, I understand." And he did understand, he understood how much he hated himself each time he allowed his yokai blood to get the best of him, each time he allowed it to hurt innocents and loved ones. He felt her delicate shoulders shudder as he held her while she calmed. Once he felt the shaking subside, he held her at arms-length and gave her a pompous look. "Keh, woman, as if you could kill me so easy."

She gave a watery laugh and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hands, nodding. "I guess you're right, nothing can harm the all-powerful Inuyasha, huh?"

"Damn right. Now let's go let the others know you're done with your melt down." He kept a close eye on her as she nodded again and went to go pick his discarded items up. He took them from her and quickly redressed before turning his back to her. When she didn't immediately climb on, he looked over his shoulder to see her guilt ridden face. "Well, what are you waitin' for? We ain't got all day."

Shippo was the first to alert the others to Inuyasha and Kagome's approach. He ran up to Miroku, pausing the monk in his efforts to fortify the village. "Miroku, they're coming back!"

Miroku stood, his heart pounding in his chest fearfully. He had been able to evacuate the villagers under the pretense of a violent ghostly entity threatening their lives, but he still felt responsible for his friends' lives. Several possible outcomes of the scenario unfolded before him. Inuyasha could have claimed Kagome, and they would now be approaching as a mated pair, far more dangerous than he could ever dream of dealing with. Even his wind tunnel would be little more than an irritation against his friends if they were still swept up in their perspective powers. The more positive of outcomes would be that one or both would be gravely injured and need of a great deal of healing, but still be incredibly volatile. What if one had been killed, and the other was carrying them back? Under any circumstances, the pair was not to be taken lightly. Something had shifted in the dynamics of the group, and while Miroku still cared dearly for his two friends, he could not put the others at risk.

Picking Shippo up quickly, Miroku finished pressing the last sacred sutra against the road post of the village. He had been careful to place six sacred sutras around the village, symbolic of the six stages of existence, the cycle of samsara, the same symbolism as the six rings on his shakujo staff. He had fortified the shrine in the center of the city with still more of his sutras, and this was where he was headed. He found Sango outside of the shrine, lining the doorways and windows with her poison powder which would protect them from Inuyasha. Shippo and he pulled their masks over their mouths and noses to match the ones that Sango and Kirara wore, protection against the poison powder. Miroku knew that their barriers would only protect them against Inuyasha. He would be a fool to think that he was skilled enough as a humble monk to ward off the wrath of a kami-possessed priestess. Should Kagome still be ensnared in the kami state, the only line of protection would be from the protection of a deity given by the altar in the very heart of the shrine.

"Sango, take Shippo and Kirara to the altar at the center of the shrine. Should either of them come through our defenses…" Miroku looked into Sango's warm brown eyes, his heart giving a painful lurch. "Sango, I feel there is something I must say to you before…"

Sango shook her heard fiercely, her eyes welling with tears. "Don't be stupid, Miroku. We'll be fine. You should have more faith in them…" Her voice was hesitant. Even she did not feel safe from her friends, especially having seen them pitted against one another. It was the first time that she saw truly how much stronger her two friends were from the rest of the group. Sure, they all had their strengths, but upon seeing the full extent of Kagome's true powers matched alongside the terrifying beast that was Inuyasha's yokai, Sango could no longer say she felt confident in her ability to protect herself against either should they ever turn against them. She shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind. They knew Kagome and Inuyasha, had seen their capacity for kindness and the expansive nature of the goodness in their hearts. "And I'm not letting you go out to them alone, if that's what you were thinking!"

Miroku, so commonly known for his comedic relief in serious situations, levelled a look that brooked such seriousness as to gain her full respect. "Sango, while you are truly a woman of great strength, you will not have much of a chance against the spiritual powers of Kagome. Here, you can hopefully be under the protection of the watchful eyes of the water deities, the Suijin who resides over the lake here." He reached out and squeezed her hand, looking down at Shippo and Kirara. "And I place my full faith in your ability to protect these two."

The demon slayer reached out and gripped Miroku's hands in her own, showing an usually soft display of affection, her voice dipping in tone, "I trust that all will turn out well. I have faith in all of you." Her hand reached out as if to caress his cheek before withdrawing, her voice steeling up, "You better turn tail and run if it's too much. Don't let your pride cost your life."

A smirk graced Miroku's taut features, and he snatched her retreating hand in his and pressed his lips against her palm before she retracted it and gave his cheek a smart slap. "Of course I wouldn't dare to leave my beautiful friend behind." He was turning to head back out of the shrine when a small hand tugged on his own. Miroku looked down at their small friend, kneeling down beside him. "What is it, Shippo?"

The young fox demon's face held traces of tears upon it as he squared his chin, his own effort of strength in the face of fear. "Don't you dare hurt Kagome!" Despite the sharp pangs of pain caused by Kagome, Shippo was well aware that she would never harm any of them of her own volition. His surrogate mother could not be held responsible for the state she was in, which was why he assumed that Inuyasha had stood and taken the abuse. Shippo had been forced back farther from Miroku and Sango along with Kirara, because no regular demons could properly withstand the might of a priestess' pure power for long without succumbing. But the young fox demon loved Kagome with all his might, and he felt it his own personal responsibility to care for her. The rest of the group had their own hang ups and motives, their own distractions and selfish responsibilities that came before aiding Kagome. Shippo had seen the selflessness of Kagome's actions, Kagome who had come to his defense and the defense of others without a second thought.

Inuyasha was always worried over Kagome, and his own past that haunted him. Miroku was consumed with the ominous approach of his own demise by the wind tunnel, and his need to protect Sango. Sango was absorbed in her need to avenge her village and to protect Kohaku and Kirara. True, any member of their group would lay down their life for another, but there were priorities. Inuyasha would choose Kikyo over Kagome, Miroku would choose Sango over Kagome, Sango would choose Kohaku, and so on. In the young mind of Shippo, Kagome was the only living being who would choose him over others, and he would choose her to save. His only doubt came in his curiosity over whether every member of their group really held the same worth in their group to Kagome. Was it truly possible for somebody to be so pure and selfless? He supposed the strength of her priestess powers lent evidence towards her strength of character.

The monk nodded solemnly, ruffling the top of Shippo's head, assuring him, "I would not dream of it. Now, you have to be very brave as well, Shippo. I trust you to ensure that nothing happens to Sango or Kirara." After gaining a sniffy nod from the fox kitsune, Miroku straightened up and looked over his friends. "May the spirits bless our endeavor."

Miroku's sandaled feet stirred the dust along the path to the gate of the village, his robes collecting the silence of the village as he traveled quickly. He stilled his mind, contemplating the stillness in his own heart against the rapidly building anticipation in his blood. Calming his blood, he fingered the prayer beads and reminded himself that all in life was impermanent and that each and every day was imperfect and transmutable. Even death was impermanent. Whispering under his breath, "Even as the echo answers the voice…" He reminded himself that all causes had effects, and all effects create causes. This, in and of itself, released a tension that had been building up in his body since the onslaught of the current situation. He would walk peacefully into whatever his friends would bring.

The edge of the village was nearing him, and as he toed the line his sacred sutras provided he could see at first the red of Inuyasha's yukata before seeing pale slender legs and arms wrapped around him. Only a faint pulsation of power reached him, letting him know that Kagome, too, was still alive. As they neared, he squared himself and prepared for whatever they would throw at him. He was both prepared to aid in whatever way he could to snap them out of their power-induced rages and prepared to do whatever he could to protect the three remaining in the shrine should he fail his attempts to help. When they came in full sight, Miroku was able to note the blurred lines on Inuyasha's face, much less striking than when he was fully under the power of his yokai blood. He picked up Kagome's voice, the demanding lilt to it setting Miroku on edge again. "Inuyasha, let me down."

Miroku watched his half demon friend let Kagome down from his back, and then saw his face lose all of the yokai traits as soon as he was no longer in contact with the young priestess who was making her way ahead of Inuyasha. He could not decide whether or not he should square up his staff or not, because such a display could be seen as a threat or a challenge to Kagome. Even though the girl looked quite normal as she approached, Miroku was uneasy as she stepped up to the line of sutras. A look of concentration passed over her face, and whereas only hours ago she would have passed through them and physically removed them to allow Inuyasha to pass, now she seemed capable of a much stronger reaction. Miroku watched as the sutras appeared to be drenched with water, watching as the ink bled and dissolved along with the paper before dropping into a pulp upon the ground about them. Kagome gave him a curious tilt of her head before appearing to recognize him, her shoulders sagging in exhaustion as she reached out to hug him.

Inuyasha caught the action and reached out to Kagome, enfolding her in his arms and bringing her against his chest. Something was allowing him to see the exact flow of her power around them, as if each action was sending out tangible tendrils of magic. When she had destroyed the sutras, he had seen deep blue wisps of magic, like an ethereal water, flow out from her unconsciously and destroy them. Those waves and wisps of watery magic had yet to subside as she had gripped out to clasp Miroku, and when he had restrained her he was the only thing keeping the monk from harm. "How 'bout you keep yer hands off the perv, Kagome? You're just encouraging him, you'd think you like getting groped!"

Kagome looked a little bewildered but just pursed her lips and pushed Inuyasha away, her hands on her hips. "Sit boy!" She breathed deeply and turned towards Miroku, a look of apology on her face. "Are you alright? Are Shippo and Kirara fine? I was so afraid that I'd hurt them, and perhaps you and Sango even if you both aren't demons!"

Miroku heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed his stance. He did not know how Inuyasha had managed to calm Kagome, but it had apparently worked. Even the half-demon's diffusion of the almost-painful hug aimed his way was admirable and surprisingly subtle. "We are all in good health, Kagome, and merely happy to know that you have made it through such a trial alive and well." Miroku began to walk down the path, leading Kagome towards the shrine. "I cannot say that I understand much about the awakening of powers in a priestess, but I am sure such a trial is a fearful and confusing event for a young maiden." He continued, conversationally, as they walked through his barrier of the shrine and towards the steps, stopping in the courtyard as Sango and the others came out tentatively. "I vaguely remember reading about some other factors coming in to play with awakenings like yours, but I was young and uninterested in such matters."

He began to turn towards Kagome, but her face was contorted and enraged as she looked upon the others. Miroku reached out towards her cautiously, but the ring of power about her was already enough to send him flying back several feet, sliding down into a crouch before toppling over a few times. He heard her voice, or the voice projected through her, intone in warning. "You have allowed those impure and tainted onto the hollow grounds of the Suijin, monk?"

Miroku coughed and spluttered, trying to regain his breath and standing as he choked out towards his friends. "Get back into the shrine!" Shoving himself back onto his feet, he could do nothing as he watched Kagome thrust out her hand and direct a staggering amount of power at his three friends, one among them the woman he loved. He watched as Sango was barely able to deflect the blow, though he could see the stripe of blood well over her thigh where the thin material had been sliced through. It was both a blessing and a curse that Kagome was not yet in control of her powers. A curse, because she could not restrain herself in moments like this and recognize friend from foe. A blessing, because she could also not direct her attacks in a concentrated and direct enough manner to threaten warriors as skilled as Sango. He watched Shippo and Kirara retreat up and into the shrine, which only seemed to bring on the ire of Kagome. "Sango, grab hold of the stair case!" Unwrapping the prayer beads about his hand, he was able to release the wind tunnel just long enough to pull Kagome away from Sango.

Inuyasha had been walking in the direction Kagome and Miroku had headed after the charm had worn off when the wave of power hit his stomach like a brick. He had barely been parted from them for five minutes! When he neared the shrine, he was stopped dead in his tracks by Sango's poison powder and Miroku's sacred sutras. A swell of pride filled his chest. His friends could protect themselves. Equally present in his mind was the thrum of betrayal. His friends were protecting themselves against him… And Kagome. At his approach, Kagome and Miroku were squaring off, the monk already bruised, and the hint of Sango's blood on the air. "Fuck…" He looked beyond for the demon slayer, spotting her standing guard in front of the shrine. "Miroku! Do ya think you can manage to make your way here and let me the fuck through? Sango, try and distract her!"

Damn, his friends were efficient. Before Kagome could realize what was happening, the demon slayer was slinging her iron chain out and around Kagome's delicate ankles, toppling her for the moment as Miroku sprinted towards Inuyasha. Inuyasha crouched on his haunches, ready to engage as soon as he was allowed through. The monk had just enough time to tear down the santras as Kagome's magic dissolved the links of the chain and knocked the monk off his feet, knocking Sango back up into the shrine's entrance, a crack of wood splintering her impact. Sango fell unconscious at the steps of the shrine as Kagome approached the demon slayer, her hands curled as they formed new orbs as power.

"Miroku…" Inuyasha growled out as the monk turned and cried out for Sango, distracted from completing his aid. "Fuck it!" Inuyasha covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his fire rat robe, sprinting towards Kagome and knocking her flat on her back. The next few things happened too quickly for even Inuyasha to process. Kagome dug her fingers into the flesh of his wrist under his robe, a pain which seared enough to send him reeling back. As he stumbled back, coughing from the poison powder and from the power, Miroku ran from across the courtyard and scooped Sango into his arms and began to run into the shrine. Just as Inuyasha was sure he would see the blood of his friends spilt, he watched Kagome try to take a step onto the firm boards of the shrine stairs and stop cold in her tracks. The response of magic was such as he had never seen, whether through Tessaiga or other means. Fireworks of magic sparked off of Kagome and the protective barrier around the shrine as she attacked it, pitting herself against it.

Two swift strides brought him to Kagome, his eyes catching on his friends as they cautiously approached the top of the stairs to watch. Wrapping his arms around Kagome, he watched the monk jog quickly down the steps and pause only momentarily before he crossed over the barrier to the shrine. "Hold her as still as you can, Inuyasha." At this point in time, Inuyasha was beside himself on what to do for her, so he did as instructed, growling low in his throat at the constant level of pain coursing through him at her touch. He watched as the monk opened two shackle-like armbands, each intricately designed in patterns and hues of blue water, and then snapped them over Kagome's wrist.

Kagome felt pain blossom inside of her like none she had ever felt before, as if something was burning from within and trying to explode. All she could recall before was the pain, the taste of self-righteousness that could only accompany some spiritual martyrdom, and the looks of fear on her friends faces. Instantaneously she crumpled to the ground, Inuyasha holding her up beneath her armpits as she frantically breathed and released a carnal yell. Lashing out at nothing in particular, she felt the burning well within her, like scalding water, simmer within and refuse to surface, instead remaining searing beneath her own skin. She howled and clawed at her skin, calling out desperately for her friends as tears blossomed in her eyes alongside a myriad of colors.

The screams piercing Kagome's throat were not her own, and Inuyasha felt his own beast surface and start towards Miroku. "Get… the fuck… away…" He ground out, watching the monk look torn as he held the third piece, a torque which was meant to clamp around her neck.

Miroku set down the torque, backing slowly away and onto the safety of the steps, "Inuyasha… These are for her own good… I myself am often against taking things from a shrine without permission… But this one just happened to have the things we needed. Without that third around her neck, Kagome will be in a lot of pain."

"Take off these." Inuyasha jerked her limp wrists into the air, growling. He would do anything to keep his mate from pain, and they had seemed to be the cause of her current agony.

"Without those or without the event meant to control her, Kagome will hurt herself by hurting others she cares for." Miroku took another step back onto the steps.

Inuyasha gave the torque a final look before he felt his yokai surge at the challenge, his hands jerking Kagome to her feet. The human monk was right. Of course the squirming priestess was out of control. She needed a strong mate to show her who was alpha of the pack. His bitch needed claiming.

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter installation! We'll be dabbing a bit into more mature context next chapter, but nothing too raunchy just yet. Until next time!**


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